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New Normal 101: Site Safety Tips to follow

Susceptibility to COVID-19 transmission increases as more business and industries resume their operations after the Philippines is placed under more lenient quarantine restrictions. In a recent survey, 90% of respondents who are immunologists, infectious-disease researchers, and virologists believe that the virus will become endemic in the long run.

For the construction industry, this only rationalizes the reality of accepting -a “new normal” by enforcing key measures that will guarantee safety and limit the transmission for smoother operations.

Here is a brief rundown on important measures to be implemented:

  • Limiting Exposure

Observance of good hygiene plays a big role in controlling viral transmission, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The placement of proper handwashing, sanitizing, and disinfecting stations around the site is required.

Tool sharing should also be limited unless necessary. For tools and equipment that need to be shared, disinfection must be done before and after use. Cleaning and sanitation of common and shared areas should be done regularly to ensure public health safety.

Crowd management must be done efficiently to limit face-to-face interactions. This can be done by communicating remotely via mobile or radio devices. To remove further exposure while commuting or travel, providing barracks to house workers on site is seen as an effective alternative. If the space does not allow this, contractors are encouraged to provide shuttle services to the workers.

  • Personnel Protection

In line with standards and protocols implemented by the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases), wearing a mask is required in addition to the personal protective equipment that includes fall protection, hard hats, hearing protection, and other necessary gear.

Depending on operational need and hazard assessment, wearing a face shield is an effective layer of protection that workers can opt to wear. Signages must also be stationed around the site to remind of proper hygiene, handwashing, appropriate physical distancing, and other pertinent safety reminders.

  • Planning Ahead

Preparation is always key in the face of any crisis or challenge. Developing a COVID-19 Exposure plan is a proactive approach in ensuring that clients, managers, and workers are briefed and aware of their roles.

In dealing with the pandemic, having the right information can also save lives. Educating managers and workers to monitor and detect signs and symptoms of COVID-19 will stop outbreaks or a possible transmission.

It is also important to always have a Safety Officer present on the site. The number of safety officers needed at a time depends on the number of workers on the site at any given point.

Lastly, conducting regular health and safety audits on-site can help monitor possible issues and come up with solutions to resolve it. Coordination with local government units is also important as COVID-19 construction guidelines may vary depending on the location of the site.

Beyond the threats of the pandemic, the wellness and safety of workers on-site should be of utmost priority. The professional management and handling of operations will definitely help in assessing the risks and ensuring smoother conduct of projects.

For excellent project management services, contact Lana Kier at lana.kier@kmcmaggroup.com or call us at (+63) 2-7971-0238.

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The Importance of Pre-construction Planning: How T1 continues providing excellent end-to-end service despite the lockdown

Pre-construction planning, also known as the Planning Stage, is the key element in ensuring a project is successfully delivered. It is at this stage that we forecast and analyze the potential risks and at the same time, a phase where we establish mitigating measures to prevent it.

T1 is committed to providing end-to-end project solutions to our clients. John Fiel Almosara, the company’s General Manager, believes that projects are more successful with a solid pre-construction plan.

“A good pre-construction plan can be achieved with the following,” Almosara said. “It should establish the scope of the project, establish the anticipated budget, and prepare an anticipated project schedule and timeline.”

Whether this is understanding how the logistics shall work on-site, resource planning, or long lead planning, T1 works on a commitment-based approach that identifies target delivery dates and meets deadlines.

Through Construction Project Management, the team integrates daily, weekly, and monthly planning into the wider construction program.

“We engage our construction division early to identify design issues and errors and push through the resolution of the issues before they delay activities on-site,” Almosara said. “We target the Building Services as particular priorities and make the resolution of these issues a priority at a senior level within the team,” he added.

Now that the island of Luzon and some parts of the Philippines are under enhanced community quarantine, majority of businesses shifted to a work from home scheme to continue its operations. For T1, this can be used to your advantage.

“By planning ahead, the success rate of the project is greatly increased,” Almosara said. He believes that businesses and companies can take advantage of the business slowdown and lockdown period to develop their pre-construction planning stage.

“For projects that are still within the early stages, we advise to take this time to complete the procurement of any outstanding contract packages, (materials, equipment, and manpower). This will recover some of the lost time due to the situation, as the awarded package contractors would be able to prepare their preliminary documentation and be ready to start straight away once the quarantine period is lifted,” he explained.

Material and equipment production, similar to most industries, are very much affected. Almosara emphasized the importance of reviewing and reassessment of the procurement schedule given the delay in production. “This will help the client adjust their cash flow disbursement and reorganize their business units as move-in dates will also be affected,” he said.

Almosara also noted the importance of locking down the design during the pre-construction phase. “This will minimize change orders and variation cost during the construction period, which would affect the overall budget. Given the lockdown, it is good to make use of this time to go through the design and close-out the remaining items.”

T One Project Management is well equipped with the right people to help both existing and prospective clients in their projects whatever phase they may be in during the pandemic. Our team of Project Managers has organized project structure and execution plans for our clients as mitigating measures to recover some of the delays due to the quarantine period. ;

“Our in-house Design Team provides design and design management service; T1’s Quantity Surveying Team can help establish the over-all project budget or provide a detailed review of their current project cash flow and how the lockdown would impact this; and finally, our Planning Team provides a Project Timeline that reflects the impact of the lockdown period.”

Backed by our dedicated and highly skilled team, T1 continues providing excellent, full end to end solutions and services to our clients. “We use multiple meeting platforms to make sure we can get on a call and meet with the project team and clients. Each department is working remotely and is equipped with the tools needed to perform their task,” Almosara said.